This online memorial was created in loving memory of Justin Saunders, whose life story is told throughout this memorial website. Please sign Justin's guest book and let us know you came to visit. We will remember Justin forever.

I have created this memorial wall to remember the love of my life. He was taken from this world to soon. I lost this wonderful man to suicide on August 13th, 2015 after being with him for almost 5 years. I am still in shock. I will miss him every day for the rest of my life.

Justin was born in the UP on April 2, 1983. He moved with his mom down state when he was young and was raised there. He graduated from high school in 2001. Continuing his education he became a certified electronics technician in 2004. He was able to find a job near Ann Arbor Michigan that fall. This job and the job I held starting in 2006 was how we ended up meeting.

I was working midnight shift at the time and Justin would stop in to get his morning cup of coffee and donuts prior to starting work. As he became a regular I got to know him a little of course. After a few years we both ended up in a position to start dating each other. We went out on our first date on December 21, 2010. Our relationship went on from there.

He had already purchased a home so I ended up moving in with him at his home. We were able to spend most evenings and weekends together as we worked different shifts for the first couple years of our relationship. Luckily I ended up with a new job after a few years where we both worked the same shift. Got up at the same time, would get home near the same time so we ended up with a lot more time together.

Just shortly before he passed away we talked about taking the next step in our relationship. We had talked about marriage off an on for many years but never took that next step. Many people already considered us to be married in a way as that is how we treated each other. Justin's quote on this was "only not married according the the government". But we discussed this some more and he even called my father to ask his permission for my hand in marriage. We never even got to tell many people that we had decided to take that next step.

I came home on August 13, 2015 expecting to pick Justin up to go to dinner at my parents house that night, to find him deceased of a self inflicted gun shot wound.

Justin was a very hard working young man. He was able to sign a mortgage at the age of 23 on his own. At this home he did most of the work on his own. He even ended up putting in a wood burning furnace to just help heat the house as it was in the country, therefore needed propane which of course is expensive. I am not saying he went without things because he didn't like to spend his money, but if it wasn't needed he didn't purchase it. Everything had to have a reason behind the purchase.

He would process his own firewood to heat the house using the chainsaw that he purchased. Eventually he even ended up purchasing a second one for me so that way we could work side by side to process the firewood. He was also handy outside for the garden. He had a garden in the backyard prior to me even moving in. His grandparents would even start most of the items that would be planted in the garden as they had a green house.

As you can see, a lot of what I have described is being outdoors. Justin did not like to be inside very much. He was always on the go outside. There were even times when it was raining outside and he still wouldn't come inside.

This of course led to a very large appetite! Still skinny as a rail, but he sure could eat. I still remember the first time I cooked dinner I made lasagna. Figuring I would make enough for some lunches for the week I made a 13 x 9 pan of this. In addition to this I also made garlic bread. All that was left after he got his hands on it was a lunch portion for both of us.

In addition to his love of the outdoors and his love of food, he loved going to the UP. Every summer we would go up to visit his father's side of the family for the 4th of July holiday. It was a vacation we both looked forward to all year long and always enjoyed our time up there. Of course we didn't get to go visit more than that time, but it was what we always discussed of where we wanted to retire to. He was even talking about doing a land contract in the next few years so that way we could have the land we wanted prior to us even moving up there!

There of course is a lot more to say about this amazing gentleman. It is hard to think of what I want to include in this page. I'm sure more will come to me as time continues and more information will be added.